Musicians roles in the UK earn a median of £48,000 per year, equivalent to £22.89 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 13.6% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £44,500 in North West to £54,500 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £46,591/yr (3% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£48,000
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£22.89
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+13.6%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£44,500 – £53,000
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~9,000
estimated employees
14 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~4,000 → 2024: ~9,000
Market Signal
Specialist demandPay is rising while employment is falling — specialist skills are in high demand.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Median annual pay for Musicians across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| London | £54,500 |
| Scotland | £49,000 |
| South East | £49,000 |
| South West | £47,000 |
| East Midlands | £46,500 |
| West Midlands | £46,500 |
| Wales | £46,500 |
| North East | £46,000 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £45,500 |
| North West | £44,500 |
| UK | £48,000 |
Annual pay grew by +13.6% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Musicians.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
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For employers & recruiters
Musicians write, arrange, orchestrate, conduct and perform musical compositions.
There are no formal academic entry requirements although many possess a degree and/or diploma. Entry to a degree or graduate diploma course requires A levels/H grades. Entrants to the performers’ diploma course generally possess GCSEs/S grades and associated board graded examination passes in their chosen instrument(s) and will be required to audition.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.